INSPECTION STANDARD - Oceaneering

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THE INSPECTION STANDARD Nuclear Stations vessel entry training A team of 20 Oceaneering technicians led by Chris Smith, NDT Inspection Engineer, have once again undergone training on boiler simulators located in Newcastle, England in preparation for completing inspection work in the most testing of conditions - boilers in close proximity to the reactor core on nuclear installations. This work has proved vital to the efficiency of the boilers in the past although the conditions encountered could not get much more challenging. Due to the heat and potential contamination in the boilers the inspectors wear air-fed suits and have to manoeuvre through a complex set of boiler tubes to get in the correct position to complete the testing. To apply the ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) principle requires practise in safe conditions. For this reason simulators create the conditions and work scopes are developed to allow the inspectors to become acclimatised and confident in the simulated conditions within a safe environment before the actual site work is performed. The inspectors are monitored by video and radio communications from a manned control room while completeing the tasks, while keeping the number of personnel allowed into the hazardous conditions to a minimum. Over the past years a vast amount of successful inspections have been completed on the boilers due to the diligent attitude of the inspectors and the professional training completed. 7 Eggborough Power Station safety award Oceaneering personnel are renowned for their vigilance and an eye for detail and this was proved again when a team of technicians identified a defect with the potential to cause a significant safety issue. During the 2011 shutdown, Dale Sutcliffe, Gary Cook and Carl McElvaney formed the Oceaneering inspection team tasked with carrying out a routine inspection of a high pressure pipework bend on Unit 3 Eggborough Power Station. The coal fired station has been generating electricity since 1967 and is located in East Yorkshire, England. Members of the team noticed a crack propagating from a ‘tapping point’ branch weld to an adjacent ‘warming’ branch weld. The defect was in an area outside the area scheduled for inspection. Nevertheless the alert team immediately reported to the Station Engineer, an action which resulted in a change to the inspection scope for this and other station units. In recognition of their diligence the three men were proposed for a Safety Award which was presented to them by Paul Tomlinson, the Power Station’s Chief Operating Officer on the 14th of June. Oceaneering also recognised this conscientious approach, by presenting each individual with a monetary voucher and expressing great thanks to all involved. Carl McElvaney - Left Gary Cook - Left
A view from the Caspian Oceaneering Inspection has contracts all over the world in often difficult, but occasionally exotic locations. Dr. Peter McClean Millar In-country Manager for Oceaneering works in one of the fastest growing areas of our business and offers insight into life working in the Caspian Region. “When people ask me where I work they usually take on a puzzled look and scratch their head when I say, ‘Baku, Azerbaijan’. In recent weeks Azerbaijan won the European Song Contest so friends and family back in Ireland probably won’t be so confused, but for my American friends back in Chicago, where I live, it will still be, go to Iran and Iraq and head north to Russia and you will find it”. Azerbaijan is a former Russian state which sits on the western side of the Caspian Sea. It has roughly the same land area as Ireland with a total population of just over eight million of which more than two million live in Baku, the capital city. Like many large cities, Baku is noisy and confined; however, the Azerbaijan government is committed to modernising the city and opening up the tourism sector. They are able to do this because of the vast oil wealth buried under the Caspian Sea. It is because of this that Oceaneering is here. In 2009 Oceaneering secured the Inspection and Integrity Management contract for BP’s assets in the Caspian Region. These assets consist of eight offshore platforms, the Sangachal terminal and the export pipelines. Covering an area of 500 hectares, Sangachal has a processing capacity of over one million barrels per day and a total storage capacity of three million barrels of oil. It is one of the largest oil and gas facilities in the world. The oil is exported through three major lines running through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey to the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The three pipelines include the Baku-Tiblisi-Ceyhan line which at 1,094 miles is the second longest oil pipeline in the world and runs through mountainous areas which are only accessible for inspection seven months of the year. The Caspian operation forms part of Oceaneering Inspection’s Africa, Middle East, FSU and Asia Pacific (AMFA) Region, which has its management team based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, but is supported by our specialist services from the United Kingdom. During the last two years we have seen continuous growth in the work being done with and the size of the workforce. We are also working closely with BP 8 www.oceaneering.com/inspection/ www.oceaneering.com on a number of new projects including the Chirag Oil Project (new platform 120km east of Baku) and the pilot of an inspection regime at Sangachal using 3D models. This is a truly exciting project which has the potential to be a real game changer in the field of inspection and monitoring of onshore and offshore assets. But it is not all work in Baku. Recently we had a team building weekend at the Atlant resort in Nabran in the northern part of Azerbaijan. While the area around Baku tends to be a dry and dusty terrain, Nabran was very reminiscent of Normandy in France. It was great to see a different aspect of Azerbaijan and spend some quality time with the families of our local staff. The Caspian Integrity Management operation employs over 100 people of which in excess of 30 are Azerbaijan nationals. The following image shows the Management Team, (from left to right) Peter McClean Millar - In Country Manager, Lawrence Slowik – Exports Delivery Manager, Ali Still – NDT Inspection – Coordinator , Gavin McConaghie – HSE Advisor, Derek McNaughtan – Offshore Delivery Manager, Adriaan Volschenk – NDT Rope Access Supervisor. (Missing from photograph: Tim Preston – Sangachal Delivery Manager and Babek Tahirov – Chief Representative). Caspian Management Team Working in the Caspian is demanding but it is also rewarding because everyone knows that they can make a difference by endeavouring to keep BP’s operation here safe and efficient. Recently we passed 250,000 hours without a Lost Time Incident. People may not know where Baku is but it is certainly a very important part of Oceaneering’s global operation. Dr. Peter McClean Millar – June 2011
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INSPECTION STANDARD - Oceaneering

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